My Favourite Image Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)

Emerald Damselfly

This is a particularly difficult damselfly to photograph and it is not because it is wary or difficult to approach.

This species tends to inhabit grassy areas and likes to perch on thin tall stems, so the initial challenge is to have calm weather to avoid swaying grass and blurred images.

It's an unusal subject as it is one of the few damselfly species to spread its wings at rest, making top down shots the norm. The only focusing point of any real value is the antehumeral area on the top of the thorax. This is rather small in size and as a result some digital cameras will have trouble auto focusing. Try manual focus if all else fails.

Finally try getting all of the subject area in focus. It can be very challenging to get the the wing tips, head and tail of the abdomen simultaneously sharp.